The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-10-20
IN THE BIJou ENTRANCE,

Tho nextpa Of tho building that was
the moat badly damaged waa the entrance
to the Bijou, Thestre. The Library Hall
building ia separated from the Patterson
block by about forty feet. Its entrance is,
properly speaking, S portion Of the patter.
son building. At the time OF the explo.
sion Mr.. Charles Bruce was selling tickets
at the office. He was hurled out upon
the floor and lay unconEclous for about
five minutes. =.
Fortunately at that time there was bu.
ono man waiting to buy tickets. He was
hurled in the air. alighting fifteen feet
from the ticket Office, but almost mirscu.
loualy eecaped with 8 fs& bruises. The
terrific force Of the exploaion WAS especial
ly apparent at tho entrance. On the street
in front the huge flag stones OF the pave.
ment had been literally broken and lifted
out of their places, to fall back again in a
broken MACS. The tile floor OF the thea.
tre entrance was broken and the pieces
gcattered about in every direction, The
heavy wsinscoating was literally torn
from the sides for the entire length
Of tho entrance, while the sls.
giant gus chandeliers were broken
and twisted into almost unrecopniza-
bic shapes. The ticket Office was not
30 badly injured, but directly opposite the
entire side Of the wall had been crushed
in clear back 10 tho end OF the entrance.
For distance Of forty feet the effects Of
the explosion we're apparent. The fact of
the BIou Theatre proper being distinct
building from the Patterson block saved It
from the effects OF tho explosion. Tho
theatre itself was not injured. The en-.
trance doors into the auditorium marked
the termination Of the line OF destruction.
AS these were securely closed doora no
sign OF the explosion waH apparent in the
interior OF the theatre, and it was decided
by the management to have it opened
from the Penn avenue entrance for the
matinee this afternoon. n
$'f7 IN THE ALBRNARLE. sr.
In the Office Of the Hotel Albemarle all
was confusion. !.
The explosion to them sounded like the
report Of cannon. Tho concuasion was
first felt on the second story. G;l,IE
Ono OF the co!ored servants who was
standing near the partition wal! between
the second floor Of the hotel and the Biiou
Theatre, was blown down stairs and out the
front Office door an almost ehapeless mass.
A gentleman reading a paper in one Of
the front rooms on the lower floor Of tho
hotel, or the hall where the colored man
WAS blown out, was carried clear ;aerops
the atreet against the doors OF Phillips 4
Co.'s rubber store. Showers of glass a
quarter Of an inch thick from the hotel
and tho lower stories Of tho stores in the
fairly hailed against the buildings on the
other eide OF Sixth etreet. The excite
ment in the hotel was Of course great.
There were families there with several
members sick, and to got theue out was q
course difficult task. 80 ;, 5TIi..I5
Tho smoke poured in from the broken
wall between the Bijou Theatre and the
hotel, which indicated its immediate and
entire destruction. This smoke filed the
entirs upper Stories, and poured iron,
every window. ~; sItI 4 NJ
Travellers stopping at the hotel, who had
! left 1t after breakfast, were frantic wher